


No Permission Needed

by unicorndads



Category: Gandrew - Fandom
Genre: Angst and Feels, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 06:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28466787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unicorndads/pseuds/unicorndads
Summary: Andrew gets permission to ask Garrett out.
Relationships: Andrew Siwicki/Garrett Watts
Comments: 8
Kudos: 43





	No Permission Needed

**Author's Note:**

> No disrespect to Garrett or Andrew. I love both of them. They are my dads even if they aren't an irl couple.

Andrew skims over his mail, pausing when a letter catches his attention. "GOVERNMENT RESPONSE ENCLOSED" is stamped on the outside. Feeling a muted sense of excitement, he opens the large envelope and reads quietly to himself:

"Dear Andrew Siwicki, The Government of the United States of America has received your request to create a painting for home decorating purposes. We are pleased to inform you that your request has been approved."

With a whoop of happiness, Andrew thinks right away that he needs to tell Garrett. He pulls out his phone and it takes only a moment for his best friend's grinning face to appear on the screen. "Hey!"

"Hey, man! I got approved for the painting!"

Garrett's eyes widen with excitement. "That's awesome!"

"Ya! I was so scared they would say no."

"They _have_ been declining a lot of requests recently, I've heard. But maybe they're in a good mood or something." Andrew giggles at the idea of a body of government having any sort of mood. Garrett grins at him, but continues without pausing to think about the humor in it. "You know, I might ask them if I can get that giant skeleton I've been eyeing. Now that they might approve it."

Andrew nods, fully aware of how long Garrett had been pining over the larger-than-life decoration. He doesn't have the heart to tell him that he probably needs a bigger place before it'll get approved, though. "Sure. I might even ask if-" But he stops himself, knowing he won't. He scolds himself for even thinking the government would ever allow _that_.

Garrett, unaware of his friend's internal struggle, just grins at him. "Yeah, ask for whatever you want! Better to do it now than later when they're in an unforgiving mood again."

Andrew lets out a slow breath. Ever since he was a kid, he always felt like he needed permission to do things; that's why he rarely asks the government for things - he doesn't feel like he can. But maybe with Garrett's permission, he _can_ finally try to ask for this one big thing...

Andrew is interrupted by his friend bubbling over with laughter. "I mean the people making the decisions! Not the government! Can you imagine this, like, large entity that controls our lives having emotions?"

Andrew joins in, though he doesn't know if he still finds it that amusing, or if Garrett's giggles are just so contagious. What he does know, though, is that he could watch him laughing - the way his eyes squeeze shut, the way his nose wrinkles, the way his open mouth curves up - forever.

-

Andrew opens his laptop, feeling nervous. He navigates to a website with twitching fingers, unsure of what he's seeking out. But then he finds it: a form. One he needs to fill out of he wants even a chance of his wish getting approved. 

Andrew stares at it for an unknown amount of time before he tentatively reaches out to fill it out. _You can always not send it,_ he tells himself. _Pretend it never happened._ Taking a deep breath, he begins to type.

What are you requesting?

_Permission to ask Garrett Watts out on a date._

What is the purpose of this request?

_For romantic purposes._ Andrew stops and considers; surely he needs more context. _Would ideally end in a long-lasting relationship._

What steps would you take to complete this goal, if approved?

_I would ask him to dinner. If he agrees, I would pick him up and drive him to a restaurant._

What would be required of you to complete this goal, if approved?

_Nothing except money and the car I already have._ He knows he has to tell the government that all he needs from them is their approval. It's less likely to be approved if they're expected to help in any way.

Is this request time sensitive?

_No._

Andrew fills out his contact information, and then sees the Submit button taunting him. He scrolls up and rereads his responses until he doesn't understand what words are anymore. Then, with bated breath, he hits Submit.

He throws his head onto his desk and covers himself with his arms. He feels a knot growing in his stomach, and he knows it'll just continue to grow while he remains in this feeble position until he gets his answer.

-

Andrew stares at a letter in his hand - "GOVERNMENT RESPONSE ENCLOSED". Hardly breathing, he opens the large envelope and reads out what he is certain is bad news:

"Dear Andrew Siwicki, The Government of the United States of America has received your request to ask Garrett Watts out on a date for romantic purposes. We are pleased to inform you that your request has been...approved."

Completely stunned, Andrew feels his body begin to vibrate with excitement as he looks over the letter once more, fully expecting the words to have changed. But they haven't, and Andrew feels happiness begin to replace every ounce of uncertainty.

-

Andrew is on Garrett's couch with him. They're laughing, and Andrew can't remember what caused it. But he laughs and laughs until he can't anymore, feeling full of life and love. He watches Garrett until they both run out of breath.

"I got my request approved," he blurts out then, because he can't contain it any longer.

"What?"

Andrew readjusts on the couch to face Garrett, who's now watching him with a light smile. "The one I said I might ask for. I asked and it got approved!"

"That's great! What was it for?"

"It was asking to ask you out." Andrew sees Garrett's smile slip and his brow furrow, but he pushes forward. "So will you? Go out with me?"

A moment of silence passes between them. Garrett stares at Andrew, his expression unchanging. Andrew feels strangely hopeful despite this.

Then, Garrett's face twists into disgust. "No. Of course not. Why would I ever want to go out with you?"

Andrew's heart stops beating. He touches his cheeks and finds he's already crying. 

"Jesus, what a dumb idea. I can't believe you wasted a request on that. There was no way I was ever going to agree to go out with _you_."

Andrew tries to open his mouth to ask Garrett to take it back, or at least stop talking, but he can't seem to.

"You're the last person in the world I would even consider dating. I don't even like you enough to consider you a real friend. I only talk to you because I feel sorry for you."

Andrew covers the sides of his heads, pressing hard against his ears. It doesn't help; Garrett's words stay loud and clear as ever. All he can do is cower and cry as Garrett seems to grow larger and larger.

"Literally anyone else would be better than you. I'd rather go back to Shane than be with you. I'd rather take Jeffree up on his offer. I'd even choose Morgan before I ever chose you."

Then realization hits.

"I'm dreaming."

Andrew straightens up. He touches his cheeks - they're dry. He looks up at Garrett, who has reverted back to his normal size, who is now looking at him with a blank face. Andrew prefers it over the ugly contortion of unwant he had just faced.

"You would never do that," Andrew mumbles out. His voice is shaking, but he's confident in his words. "Any of that. And even-even if you felt this way about me, you wouldn't say it so-so harshly. You're too good for that."

Garrett's eyes soften. "You're right."

"I-I'm afraid of what you would say if I ever told you how I really feel. I have this irrational fear that that's how you'll respond. Even though I know it's not likely."

"What's more likely?"

"It's more likely that, if you don't like me like that, you'll say..." Andrew pauses, thinking.

"Andrew, I'm flattered." Garrett reaches out and puts a hand on Andrew's knee. "I really like you, but just not in that way. I hope we can still be friends, because you're one of my best friends and I don't want to lose what we have."

Andrew closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. These words sound so nice - not ideal, but better than the alternative. But still, he can't help but feel doubtful. "This isn't right either. You're just saying what I want to hear," he whispers.

"No. What you want to hear is: Really? Of course I'll go out with you! I love you."

Andrew shivers at the words coming out of this Garrett's mouth, ones that he could only dream of hearing - literally. "I don't know what's real anymore!" he cries out in frustration. "Either you're embodying my fears or my hopes. You're not Garrett; you don't know what _he_ would say. Talking to you is just talking to me! And that's never helped me before!"

There is no response as Andrew pulls on his hair. He hates this. It's just a new avenue his uncertainty is taking, invading his dreams. No matter how many times he considers the possibilities, no matter how the scenarios play out, he knows he always has to admit that he'll never know what will happen until it happens. It makes him want to scream until he loses his voice. _Maybe I should,_ he thinks. _Then I won't have to talk to Garrett ever again._

"You're here with me now for a reason," Garrett finally says, cautiously. "Even if I'm not real, maybe I can still help."

"You can't!" Andrew yells out angrily. "No one can help! This is my problem and no one but me can help me, no matter how much I wish you were real and I wish you could!" Giving up, not knowing what else to do, Andrew cries into his hands.

When he looks up again, Garrett is gone.

\---

"Whoa!" Andrew jerked awake. He pressed a hand to his pounding heart, trying to regain his bearings. He was on Garrett's couch, covered by his curtains. He had crashed there the night before, after staying up two days straight with his best friend for no reason.

"Good morning, sleepy head."

Andrew whipped around to see Garrett in his kitchen. It wasn't often that Garrett woke up before him.

"You seemed to be having a stressful dream," Garrett commented, moving closer with a cup of coffee in his hands. Andrew took it gratefully. "You were moving around a bunch. I almost woke you up, but then I thought, what if he's fighting for his life in his dream? And if I wake him up, I might keep him from winning and he might die. And Andrew, everyone knows if you die in your dreams, you die in real life, and I don't want you to die in real life! Or in a dream!"

Andrew could only giggle as he scooted over to let Garrett sit next to him. He downed the coffee, trying to wake up fully. "Thank you," he finally said, putting the cup on the coffee table. "For the coffee and making sure I didn't die."

"Ya, of course." Garrett smiled at Andrew and his heart fluttered. "So what did you dream about?"

"Um." Andrew rubbed his eyes, trying to remember. Then it all came crashing down at him at once. "It was a lucid dream. Or it became one. But it was like-. We were in some alternate reality when the government controlled our lives. More than it already does. We needed their permission to do, well, basically anything."

"Whoa, that's crazy," Garrett breathed out, leaning forward in wonder. "Like what?"

"Like decorating houses. Or-" Andrew faltered. He needed to tread carefully. "Or like, asking people out and stuff."

"That's so weird." Garrett's nose wrinkled and he let out a laugh.

"Ya." Andrew looked away, afraid his eyes would reveal to much about who exactly he was trying to ask out. He tried to convince himself they could just move on from this conversation and leave the dream behind, but he knew he couldn't. There was reason had dreamed about it. "I think...it was a sign," he tentatively added. "One I had been looking for for a while."

"Oh, cool! For what?"

Andrew hesitated. Surely he still wasn't brave enough to try, right? But why else would he have had such a vivid dream? "Um, I'll tell you right before I head out," he decided. He needed more time to think, and either way, he was too much of a coward to _not_ run away after bearing his soul.

"Um, okay," Garrett agreed, though Andrew could hear the curiosity in his voice.

As Andrew gathered his items, he tried to remember why he was leaving in the first place. That was always the plan - pass out and then go home - but why? Any chores he needed to do could wait. He much rather would have stayed with Garrett.

"Do you wanna come by again tonight?" Garrett asked, still on the couch and watching Andrew move around the living room. "We can order pizza or something and watch a movie." Andrew nodded; he never said no to Garrett (unless he had work or something). 

Before long, he was ready to leave. He stopped by the front door when Garrett stood up and stepped closer to him. "Wait, weren't you going to tell me something?"

Andrew bit his lip. He could easily drop it. But if his dream told him anything, it was that the only way to get an answer was to start the conversation - no permission needed.

He began to feel panic rise up in him, as it always did every time he even entertained the idea. But he told himself to focus his dream and what it meant. He forced himself to remember that no matter what, Garrett would never react the way his fear told him he would. And that's all the reassurance he needed. "Do-do you wanna grab dinner tonight?"

Garrett cocked his head at him in confusion. "Ya, we already talked about doing that."

"No, I mean-. Not take-out here. I mean a-a proper dinner. At a nice restaurant. With, uh, romantic undertones, po-possibly?"

"Oh!" Garrett's eyes widened as understanding dawned on him. "Are you-? Do you really mean that?"

Andrew looked away, feeling his cheeks heating up. "Ya, of course I do."

"Then yes! I'll have dinner with you! It's a date!"

Andrew's heart flipped at the word. He couldn't stop a smile from forming even if he had tried. He pinched himself, out of view from Garrett shining gaze, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.


End file.
